Thames Conservation Area Appraisal
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Thames Conservation Area Appraisal January 2020 Adopted: XXXXXXXXX Note: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this document but due to the complexity of conservation areas, it would be impossible to include every facet contributing to the area’s special interest. Therefore, the omission of any feature does not necessarily convey a lack of significance. The Council will continue to assess each development proposal on its own merits. As part of this process a more detailed and up to date assessment of a particular site and its context is undertaken. This may reveal additional considerations relating to character or appearance which may be of relevance to a particular case. THAMES CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL | 3 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 5 4. PUBLIC REALM 32 Summary of Character 6 Trees 32 Location and Setting 7 Street Furniture 34 Archaeology 8 Street Surfacing 39 Views and Landmarks 40 2. TOWNSCAPE 9 Urban Form/Street Layout 9 5. NEGATIVE ELEMENTS AND Land Uses 11 OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENHANCEMENT 43 Green Space 13 Gaps 15 APPENDIX 1 47 Materials and Finishes 17 History Buildings Audit 18 APPENDIX 2 Historic England Guidance 55 APPENDIX 3 Relevant Local Plan Policies 56 3. ARCHITECTURE 20 Bridges 20 Albert Bridge 20 Battersea Bridge 22 Chelsea Bridge 24 River Wall and Chelsea Embankment 26 Other Buildings 28 Boundary Treatments 30 4 | THAMES CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL This page has been intentionally left blank THAMES CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL | 5 1 Introduction What does a conservation area designation 1.3 This document has been produced using mean? the guidance set out by Historic England in their document, Conservation Area Designation, Appraisal and Management: Historic England 1.1 The statutory definition of a conservation Advice Note 1 (2016). This appraisal will be a area is an “area of special architectural or historic material consideration when assessing planning interest, the character or appearance of which it applications. is desirable to preserve or enhance”. The power to designate conservation areas is given to councils through the Planning (Listed Buildings Purpose of this document and Conservations Areas) Act, 1990 (Sections 69 to 78). Once designated, proposals within 1.4 The aims of this appraisal are to: a conservation area become subject to local • describe the historic and architectural conservation policies set out in Chapter 34 of character and appearance of the area which the Council’s Local Plan and national policies will assist applicants in making successful outlined in part 12 of the National Planning Policy planning applications and decision makers Framework (NPPF). Our overarching duty which in assessing planning applications is set out in the Act is to preserve or enhance the • raise public interest and awareness of historic or architectural character or appearance the special character of their area of the conservation area. • identify the positive features which 1.2 A conservation area appraisal aims to should be conserved, as well as describe the special historic and architectural negative features which indicate character of an area. A conservation area’s scope for future enhancements character is defined by a combination of elements such as architecture, uses, materials and detailing as well as the relationship between buildings and their settings. Many other elements contribute to character and appearance such as the placement of buildings within their plots; views and vistas; the relationship between the street and the buildings and the presence of trees and green space. Thurloe/Smith'sThurloe/Smith's CharityCharity ConservationConservation AreaArea ChelseaChelsea ConservationConservation AreaArea 6 | THAMES CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL TheThe BoltonsBoltons RoyalRoyal HospitalHospital SummaryConservationConservation of CharacterAreaArea ConservationConservation AreaArea ChelseaChelsea Park/CarlylePark/Carlyle ConservationConservation AreaArea CheyneCheyne ConservationConservation AreaArea ThamesThames 1969ConservationConservation AreaArea Sloane/StanleySloane/Stanley ConservationConservation AreaArea 1980 Date of designation Boundary of Conservation Area Adjoining conservation area LotsLots VillageVillage Royal Borough of ConservationConservation AreaArea Kensington and Chelsea boundary Fig 1.1: Conservation area boundary map © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 100021668 1.5 Thames Conservation Area was and Chelsea Creek, with piers, moorings embankment land are various statues and designated in 1981 and encompasses the and a wharf and of transport infrastructure important street furniture that contribute to the Royal Borough’s entire southern boundary on and adjacent public gardens and trees. The high urban quality, design and openness of the the River Thames. It stretches from the City of infrastructure includes the Chelsea, Albert area. The Thames Path has an important role as Westminster in the east, to the London Borough and Battersea bridges, the carriageway of a popular recreational walkway. of Hammersmith and Fulham in the west and Chelsea Embankment which covers the sewer to the centre of the river, which is the boundary beneath and its granite river walls and lamp 1.7 The importance of the Thames river to with the London Borough of Wandsworth. The standards. These structures are softened by London as a whole cannot be overemphasised. dominant built structures within the conservation the surrounding public gardens and treed It is a mighty, natural resource and the reason area are the Thames bridges and Chelsea areas of Embankment Gardens, Cremorne that the capital has evolved to where it has. It is Embankment. Gardens, the plane trees along the Embankment a key feature in itself as well as creating a sitting and the greenspaces at the foot of each for the south of the borough, the embankment 1.6 The character of the conservation bridge. Interspersed among the gardens and and all development along it. area comes from the riverside of the Thames THAMES CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL | 7 Location and Setting Chelsea Queen’s Gate 1.8 The Thames Conservation Area is centred ConservationConservation AreaArea ConservationConservation AreaArea SloaneSloane SquareSquare on the river and is within Royal Hospital (SW3) ConservationConservation AreaArea and Chelsea Riverside (SW10) wards. It is City of Thurloe/Smith'sThurloe/Smith's CharityCharity surrounded by high quality townscape that is ConservationConservation AreaArea Westminster Chelsea within the adjacent conservation areas, Royal ConservationConservation AreaArea Hospital, Cheyne and Lots Village. It also abuts conservation areas within adjoining boroughs, such as Battersea Park Conservation Area in the TheThe BoltonsBoltons Conservation Area Conservation Area Chelsea Park/Carlyle Royal Hospital London Borough of Wandsworth. ConservationConservation AreaArea ConservationConservation AreaArea 1.9 On the north boundary from east to west are the Royal Hospital and its riverside grounds, red brick Arts and Crafts style mansions Cheyne and mansion flats built on land released for ConservationConservation AreaArea development through the building of Chelsea Thames Embankment, glimpses beyond its boundary Conservation Area railings of Chelsea Physic Garden, the built Sloane/StanleySloane/Stanley CConservationonservation Area form of the former village of Chelsea, including the old Parish Church, river frontage houses and Lots Road Pumping Station and the former Lots Road Power Station. The distinctive high London rise buildings of the World’s End estate are also Borough of dominant in views at the western end. LotsLots VillageVillage Wandsworth ConservationConservation AreaArea © Crown copyright and database rights 2017 OS 100021668 Fig 1.2: Conservation area context map © Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 100021668 1.10 This context gives the north-eastern 1.11 To the south-eastern boundary is the boundary of the conservation area a green and extensive riverside frontage of Battersea Park. leafy character with grand, dignified adjoining The trees of the park mirror the riverside plane buildings. At the north-western end, the trees within the Thames Conservation Area and adjoining buildings set an industrial character this reinforces the prevailing character of the and appearance with the pumping and power conservation area between Chelsea and Albert stations and a safeguarded industrial use wharf. Bridges of a lush green river frontage. 8 | THAMES CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL Archaeology 1.12 The whole conservation area lies within the Chelsea Riverside Archaeological Priority Area, a “tier 2” area defined by Historic England. It is one of the most archaeologically significant areas of the borough containing multi-phase archaeology dating from prehistoric times to industrial archaeology in the Chelsea Creek area. The riverine context can often mean that archaeological deposits can survive in a well- preserved state. The most spectacular find from this stretch of river is the Battersea Shield, dating to c.350 to 50 BC found in 1857 close to the site of the new Chelsea Bridge. 1.13 Chelsea is first mentioned in the Anglo- Saxon Chronicles in 785 AD and there is some evidence of a pre-Norman Conquest settlement. For instance, timbers found in the river west of Battersea Bridge date to the period 700-900 AD and appear to be a fish-trap. Prior to the building of Chelsea Bridge and Chelsea Embankment, Chelsea riverside encompassed a waterfront and foreshore with coal, hay and timber